Built on one of the principal streets of the seaport of Marblehead in 1768, this handsome Georgian structure served as home and office to a wealthy shipowner and distinguished patriot, Jeremiah Lee. A personal friend of George Washington, Lee helped to bankroll the American revolt against King George until his untimely death in 1776. This photo shows the ashlar siding of the house (wide wooden clapboards carved to resemble stone blocks) and its dignified Ionic portico. The interior of the mansion features beautifully carved paneling--ornate ears and swags, candle sconces, impressive fireplaces--in pine, hand-grained to look like oak; and the original wallpaper, hand-painted with classical scenes and imported from France in Colonel Lee's own ships. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and lovingly preserved by the Marblehead Historical Society, the house is furnished throughout with period antiques. Now serving as a museum of town history, this stately home is open to the public from May through October. Since this photo was taken, it has been repainted with an over-all grey pigment mixed with sand, which adds stone-like texture to the mansion's ashlar siding.